Itsumo
by Ginneke
Summary: The wheels of fate are turning... Forever is a long time to wait but for Team 7, their dreams may be within reach despite the odds. And it may depend on the blinded Sharingan at the end of all paths. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**Itsumo**

Title Meaning: 'Forever'

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is the property of Kishimoto-san and will never belong to me. I possess no talents in manga-drawing and as such could never be an artist capable of producing such a masterpiece. However, I am certain that the plotline is original and subsequently have not plagiarised an idea from any other author on any fanfiction site publishing 'Naruto' stories. Any similarities are by mere coincidence. Also, any non-canon techniques will either belong to me or will be the creations of other authors on this site – I will not be using one without prior permission and will give credit where it is due.

Rated: T (for mentions of suicide, some bad language and quite frequent violence)

Parings: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Hina, platonic Naru/Saku, other minor pairings.

Spoilers: Up to Manga Chapter 309 (No equivalent anime episode as of yet); more spoilers to come in later chapters.

Setting: Canon Universe, with some divergence into an alternate reality – for example, during the chapter when Orochimaru prevented the battle between the late Team 7, he was… already occupied at the time. Not saying anything more.

"Speaking"

_'Thoughts'_

**_"Inner Sakura/ Kyuubi" _**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Apprentices of the Sannin – Battle of the 3! **

A shout of fury rang out, followed by the clang of metal on metal, sword on kunai. Above the battling figures a flock of birds broke into panicked flight at the alien sounds, their wings straining as they tried to find someplace safer than their previous roost; moments later the tree they had been perched in succumbed to the forces of gravity and crashed to the ground with a loud groan, sending up a cloud of dust in its wake. The girl responsible for its destruction immediately spun round to relocate her target; she could only watch as her companion plunged into a frenzied taijutsu battle, since any attempt to intervene could end up with him being caught in the crossfire.

Haruno Sakura was forced to leap out of the way as a stray fireball scorched the grass where she had previously been stood, causing the young chuunin to lose concentration and subsequently miss a vital opening in her former team-mate's defence. Her brief mental lapse almost cost her as he charged towards her, but once again Naruto stopped the attack, harshly shoving the Uchiha survivor off balance. Eyes with the three swirling tomoe of a fully matured sharingan widened slightly in shock, having not anticipated such a response from the dobe, and he stumbled backwards a few steps, right into Sakura's range.

Not one to let an opportunity pass, Sakura punched him away, though he was able to correct his unexpected flight and land before crashing into another tree; and as he straightened up from his couching position both Konoha shinobi noticed the tattoo-like mark that had spread out from the curse seal on his neck. Sasuke smirked at them while Naruto growled in response; his eyes had become slitted though had not yet turned crimson, and the whisker-scars on his cheeks began to thicken slightly; the kunoichi shot her companion a worried glance, concerned whether he would loose control of himself and end up partially releasing the Kyuubi, though she had little need for concern. Naruto would never let her come to harm because of his actions again, even if he had to fight with the demon lord to do so.

As if by some unspoken agreement the three plunged back into battle.

* * *

Only a short distance away, someone sat by a riverbank, his legs crossed and his eyes closed in silent contemplation. He was quite alone, with no evidence of a travelling partner anywhere nearby, and the calluses on his hands were substantial evidence that he was more than used to hard work. In fact, only the absence of any traditional ninja marks suggested that he was not of any shinobi village, despite his unknown proximity to Otogakure; if one were to look closely at him, they would realise that although he seemed quite old he was only in his teens, though few made the mistake since he tended to avoid civilisation at all costs. 

And his overall appearance reflected this: his dark hair was tangled and untamed, his clothes tattered and skin darkened from long exposure to the sun. Across one wrist curled a twisting scar that looked oddly like a leaf, if seen from the right angle – he'd survived that time, to his overwhelming despair. But now survival was his main priority, and in order to survive there were certain things he had learned to be wary of.

Explosions and the sounds of battle were just two of these. In a moment he had gathered his scant belongings, ignoring the remains of his campfire – it had long since burned out. Animals would no doubt remove any other traces of his presence, and he would be gone before anyone could attempt to pursue him. Strapping his ragged bag across his back he started to gather chakra for a Shunshin, though a scream from the direction of the battle shattered his concentration: a female voice that was filled with a mixture of pain and desperation, yelling a single word, "NARUTO!"

He stopped and turned in the direction of the fight. The name called up memories he had long attempted to bury, memories of a blond boy with a foxy smile, laughing at some prank or another; the voice too was familiar, one he associated with emerald eyes and the delicate perfume of sakura blossoms. He stood there for only a moment, torn by indecision- to continue to ignore his memories, or to assist those he once called friends; to remain alone and independent, or to return to a life dictated by others.

There was no real choice between the options available. Without so much as a backwards glance he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Sakura stared in horror and mild revulsion as her eyes came to rest on the transformed boy in front of her. Scaly, wing-like appendages were spread from his back; Naruto's blood was smeared up his forearm, sparks of electricity still leaping from the tips of his fingers; instinctively she ripped the black gloves from her hands and dropped to her knees beside the blond jinchuuriki, green healing chakra surrounding her hands as she raced to heal the gaping wound in his side. With a glare directed at him as he attempted to rise he stopped trying to get up, allowing her to reach the wound. She half-noted the red chakra already flickering around the edge, knowing that Kyuubi was also healing him. A frown of concentration creased her brow as she focused on the worst of the wound, though she was prevented from completing the process as an arm slammed into her, causing a choked cough to escape her lips as dimly the sound of Naruto's angered roar reached her. 

She flew about ten metres or so, then landed in a heap at the foot of a towering tree, struggling to rise only to be pinned against the trunk by a grey hand, smeared with crimson. Naruto was charging again, a rasengan in his hand, but he was undoubtedly weakened by their previous skirmish with Orochimaru. Only a short distance away she could make out the shapes of Sai and Yamato, their temporary companions, as they battled with another Konoha traitor – Kabuto. The young medic-nin was under pressure but not, it seemed, at any disadvantage despite facing two ANBU rank ninja.

Sasuke turned his head towards the charging jinchuuriki, sharingan eyes whirling again, and suddenly Naruto found his body weakening as the spiralling tomoes cast a genjustu over him. Snarling savagely he attempted to break free and reach his friend but from the avenger's smirk Sakura knew the blond wouldn't be able to break free without drawing on Kyuubi's chakra.

He leant forwards, his lips almost brushing against her ear as he whispered, "You're still weak, _Sakura-chan_. Even the dobe's stronger than you." Naruto growled and attempted once again to break free; she struggled against the hand around her throat only to have the other drive into her abdomen, driving the air from her lungs in one harsh choke. Her vision swimming as she struggled to breath, she saw his face close to hers and his lips moving again. A frown; she couldn't understand what he was saying; then it became clearer: "…thought you were going to…'drag me back to Konoha'?" The hand tightened again and Naruto _howled _with rage, beginning at last to overthrow the genjutsu through sheer willpower; but it seemed the avenger wasn't yet going to stop torturing her with his words. "You're still annoying."

"And you're not the Sasuke-kun I used to know," she rasped, stubbornly refusing to react to his words the way he wanted, even though she could feel something moist smouldering in the corners of her eyes and a tight knot forming in her throat. His eyes narrowed, and with a snort of irritation he cast her aside. The strength behind the throw meant that Naruto was unable to intercept her. Time seemed to slow as she fell towards the ground, and she was certain she was going to die – he had thrown her towards a great yawning rift in the ground, an after-effect of her own attack. In a last burst of strength she sucked in breath and screamed out to her companion, her friend, her brother, her last link to the old Team 7.

A leaf floated past. Suddenly there were arms around her, and the ground was a long way below. Slowly Sakura opened her eyes and peered up at her saviour, a ragged young man whose onyx eyes were oddly unfocussed, black markings that she had no time to recognise retreating back to a curse seal mark on his neck. His attention flickered downwards, despite his eyes not moving at all, and, as if satisfied that she was in no immediate danger, set her down on the branch below him before turning attention to the Uchiha, who had also taken to the trees. Naruto leapt up and took an offensive position, uncertain whether this newcomer was friend or foe, or even a neutral passer-by who had intervened without understanding the situation. His eyes narrowed. Even if he created a horde of Kage Bunshin and went all out he wouldn't be able to defeat the two of them; even if both he and Sakura were fighting the chances were probably against.

"Who are you?" the stranger demanded. That caught the attention of both Konoha nin, and they shared a quick glance. Having been around each other for so long they were adept at reading their counterpart through their body language, Sakura more so than Naruto – both were agreeing that he was probably not a foe, if he didn't even know Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

The stranger's face twisted into a scowl, his jaw clenched in surprise and anger. "That's impossible," he finally said, taking a step away from Sakura so as to prevent being obstructed by her, should the Uchiha decide to attack. There was a sudden flash of red in his eyes, and briefly the lone kunoichi caught a flash of sharingan eyes whirling furiously. "You're lying."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, confusion weighing heavily on the front of her mind, and in uncertainty her gaze flitted over to Sasuke. There was no sign of a genjutsu, and those sharingan were genuine- yet only two Uchiha remained alive; how could there possibly be a third? Naruto met her eyes and she realised he was just as confused, if not more.

"You're lying," the stranger repeated, lowering his bag to the branch, obviously preparing for some kind of confrontation. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke!"

End Chapter 1 

* * *

**Next Chapter -**

**Naruto: "I am Sasuke! But which tells the truth?!"**

Just a note that I will accept any types of reviews EXCEPT those that say something like 'update soon!' (I will only update in my own time, since I have an overload of coursework at the moment.) Flames are more than welcome – my mates and I ran out of matches for our bonfire last weekend and don't want a repeat! Amateur pyromaniacs need a good supply of fire. Constructive criticism is encouraged.

Also note that it is against my policy to leave a story unfinished. Even if I am gone for several months between updates I can assure you that the only way this will remain unfinished is if either the story or myself dies. How can a story die, you may ask? It's when a Mind Block enters its final, most deadly stage and mutates into an incurable disease, hated by writers and readers alike. It is the Mind Wipe. Fear it.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Itsumo**_

Title Meaning: 'Forever'

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is the property of Kishimoto-san and will never belong to me. I possess no talents in manga-drawing and as such could never be an artist capable of producing such a masterpiece. However, I am certain that the plotline is original and subsequently have not plagiarised an idea from any other author on any fanfiction site publishing 'Naruto' stories. Any similarities are by mere coincidence. Also, any non-canon techniques will either belong to me or will be the creations of other authors on this site – I will not be using one without prior permission and will give credit where it is due.

Rated: T (for mentions of suicide, some bad language and quite frequent violence)

Parings: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Hina, platonic Naru/Saku, other minor pairings.

Spoilers: Up to Manga Chapter 309 (No equivalent anime episode as of yet); more spoilers to come in later chapters.

Setting: Canon Universe, with some divergence into an alternate reality.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

'**I am Sasuke! But which tells the truth?!'**

The wind started to swirl again, throwing leaves into the air to resume their dance around the newcomer who claimed to be Sasuke. The four shinobi were still anticipating their opponent's actions, yet unwilling to commit to the first move. Sakura shifted slightly, bringing her left leg into a 'ready' stance. At the first sign of an offensive move against her, though, the unorthodox angle at which she had placed her right foot meant she could quickly slip into defense, while the position of her arms in relation to her body would affect the finer points of her balance and the force behind her blows. Taijutsu training with Lee had its benefits, and it was something she would recommend to Naruto as soon as they got back to Konoha. Talking of the blond, he too was adjusting his body posture to suit the situation, though his stance was sloppier and full of minute errors. He was lucky to be resilient – if he were a normal person he would have died on his first C-rank mission, she thought with a hint of worry.

His eyes flickered over to her briefly, his head moving in a barely perceptible nod, and in exactly the same moment they pounced. Their target leaped upwards to evade the twin attacks, and narrowly avoided being caught by a kage bunshin that Naruto had hidden in the forest around them. A sharp jab to the solar plexus caused it to dispel in a puff of smoke, and the Sasuke dropped onto another tree branch with that infuriating, superior smirk. Seconds later it was replaced by a slight scowl of annoyance as a plume of flame roared towards him, once more causing him to dodge in order to prevent serious injury. Sakura glanced in their ally's direction, remembering that to be one of their planned tactics in the chuunin exams – she and Naruto would manoeuvre the enemy or enemies into Sasuke's range, so he could then attack with a katon jutsu. How did he know about those tactics?

"Sakura-chan!"

Naruto's shouted warning saved her life. She barely avoided the sword thrust aimed at her heart, but still gained a deep gash across her forearm for her efforts. In another swirl of leaves the allied 'Sasuke' appeared in front of her and blocked the second attack with a kunai, giving her the opportunity to heal the wound before it became a hindrance in the battle. One of the very first things Tsunade taught her was that a medic nin should avoid the worst of a fight so he or she would be in a condition to heal his or her team-mates.

Yelling profanities that, under normal circumstances, would have seen them dispelled in an instant by her trusty fist, a trio of kage bunshin rushed past like young juggernauts. One of them was definitely Naruto, ironically the quietest of the three blonds; she caught a glimpse of sunny yellow hair perched behind a thick tree-trunk, playing off the Sharingan's inability to see through solid objects. Its hands were moving through a set of seals that she recognized instantly – Kawarimi – and for a moment she was perplexed, but after a moment she came to the conclusion that the bunshin up there was a safeguard, hidden behind the tree so that Sasuke didn't detect it, and ready to exchange position with the real blond should it be required.

'_Who would've thought Naruto knew tactics?'_ she thought with a twinge of amusement; Inner Sakura agreed with an emphatic, _**"Shannaro!"**_

The bunshin drew closer, and split off to attack from different directions to best deal with their rival. The real Naruto attacked from the front, a swirling rasengan in his hand once more, and Sakura realized that he hadn't used a bunshin to help make it this time. But instead of attacking Sasuke, he drove the swirling ball of chakra into the branch of the tree he was standing on, forcing the Uchiha into the air once more. The bunshin didn't fare so well, being dispelled by a precise, savage blow before they could even get in range.

Naruto didn't have time to react as snakes flew from the Sasuke's sleeves, reaching out towards him with poison fangs bared. She was vaguely aware of shouting some sort of warning; the air around him shimmered momentarily; and the snakes sunk their fangs into the blond, only to have him _poof_ out of existence. The snakes hissed in confusion, writhing on the soil (she and the 'Sasuke' fighting for them were still in the trees, while the other had been forced to ground after their near relentless assault.)

A few soft, hesitant notes rang out, and after a moment Sakura's senses seemed to dull slightly. Then the world cleared again, and both she and Naruto saw their surroundings with more clarity than ever before. The melody was coming from their 'Sasuke', and she caught the movement of his fingers moving over a roughly carved wooden flute as he stood in a half-trance. It was warm and somehow soothing, this sensation, as if slowly but surely she was being purged of all her self-doubts, leaving her with fresh determination.

It had a different effect on the serpents though: they hissed and spat, writhing in agitation as they lost any sense of direction, eyes half-lidded under the Sasuke's influence. They caught a scent, and not connecting it to that of their master, moved in one sinuous motion and slithered towards their summoner, tongues darting in and out dangerously, their fangs pale against the ground and their own muddy skins. The ninja's sword flicked out and dispatched them long before they could get within range, though his brow creased into a scowl at being forced to dispose of his summoned creatures, and he levelled a cool glare at the raven haired man standing near her. He seemed unfazed by the open dislike, staring blankly into nothing.

Sakura's attention flickered back up towards Naruto, who by now was standing in the open, not bothering to conceal himself. His mouth was shaping words, one finger pointing over towards where their two other companions were fighting, and she noticed a flicker of orange and black racing towards them. Her temporarily heightened senses could detect chakra, an _enormous_ chakra speeding towards their battles, and there was only one person she could associate it with – Orochimaru.

A kunai thudded into the bunshin left behind, though she realised that its memories would have been transferred back to Naruto. Kakashi-sensei had mentioned something along those lines before, about kage bunshin being useful for training purposes, but he hadn't yet told Naruto that.

"You'll be hiding in that tree all day then?"

'Sasuke' sounded annoyed by the happenings, and slightly bitter if his words were any indication. The other didn't relax: remaining in a ready position should the fight resume. He answered in a quiet, misused voice, "I don't gamble people's lives. You should know that, Zero."

Sakura started in surprise. Not only had this stranger claimed to be Sasuke, but in addition he was calling the one she and Naruto had been pursuing for all this time by another name. It was almost too much to take in, yet a rule kept repeating itself, something she had committed to memory during the academy years.

_'A shinobi must be able to deal with new information uncovered in the field. If it should prove contradictory to the mission don't discard it, but try and link it to that which you already have, so that there will be as few casualties as possible.'_

There came a clang, and she realised with a start that the two had started fighting again. She had no time to worry though; she could feel faint chakra signatures approaching their position, seemingly a scout party. She slipped a pair of black gloves on, heading to lie low in a location directly ahead of the scouts to catch them off guard – it was the only thing she could do without knowing their numbers.

Sakura had little time to prepare though. She had underestimated their speed, therefore only being able to stand there as they entered the small clearing near the other battles, too close to give her comfort. The effects of that calming melody were beginning to wear off, and she felt her little worries slipping back into the recesses of her mind. There were only three, all male, with the Oto hitai-ate and uniform of a common chuunin. Probing their chakra signatures again she decided that they were probably relatively inexperienced, only high-genin to low-chuunin level. Nevertheless, any interference in either battle could be dangerous for her allies and brother-figure. It was up to her.

She attacked.

* * *

Elsewhere, Hyuuga Hinata sat in her room, gnawing nervously on a fingernail as she tried to make sense of the book she was poring over. There were several advanced medical terms she didn't understand, though the nervous system was easy enough to understand if she compared it to the chakra coils of humans. They controlled things called… electrical impulses, whatever they were, and could be interfered with by touching various places on the body. Severing its contact with the brain would result in instant death, much like blocking the crown chakra. But this wasn't what she was interested in. She was trying to find out a way of removing the Caged Bird Seal from the Branch family, though having little success without Sakura's assistance. _She_ probably understood what this meant, but with her away on a mission there were few people she could turn to. 

"I might need to ask Neji-nii-san…" she murmured to herself, scribbling something that she did understand onto her pages of notes. "I-I won't be able to do this by myself…"

"Do what?"

Hinata spun round to face her younger sister, pale eyes widening with shock and fear. "N-nothing! Hanabi-chan, please-"

It was too late. The younger Hyuuga had already caught sight of the papers, and for a moment she seemed to freeze in that position before whirling round to face her sibling, byakugan eyes activating of their own accord in her anger.

"Hinata-nee-san, this is treachery!" she hissed, holding one of the precious pages of research in her hand – the one that outlined the basic procedure for putting the seal on originally, and then started to explore the possible ways of reversing the process. "Haven't you any idea what'll happen if you get caught? What if otou-sama finds out?!"

"Hanabi-chan, stop! He won't find out… unless s-somebody tells him…" Hinata was angry at the hesitation in her own voice but really was fearful of the consequences. Why, oh why hadn't she thought to check with her byakugan if anyone was approaching? "And… I'll just not get caught!" she finished, surprising even herself with the strength behind the statement. For a moment she had sounded like the one she so admired, her Naruto-kun; perhaps Hanabi was quelled by the ferocity of her words, since she took a step back before collapsing onto Hinata's bed, staring at the sheet of paper in her hands. She lifted her gaze, the protruding veins of the byakugan gone with her passing rage, and whispered with no more than a slight hint of suspicion, "Why?"

"Before you were born… before Neji-nii-san was branded with the seal… we always used to play together in the gardens. We were best friends… he promised to protect me always… and then the Main family put the seal on him, separated us. Hizashi-ji-san died not long after… and he forgot about the promise. But if we can get rid of the seal we think… we might be able to change the clan… together…"

"Going against a whole clan?" Hanabi shook her head slightly in what would have been a theatrical manner had the mood not been so serious, trying to clarify what she'd just been told. "There's no way we'll succeed."

Hinata looked shocked for a moment but then smiled, ruffling her younger sister's hair in a rare open show of affection. "Thank you," she said simply; knowing that was her sister's way of saying she would help them. It probably wasn't for the right reasons – it was far more likely she was doing this out of a sense of loyalty for her older sister – but all the same, it showed that perhaps the rift between them wasn't quite as large as anyone would otherwise believe.

* * *

The two 'Sasuke' sprang apart, breathing more heavily than before. The one previously addressed as 'Zero' was in a better condition overall; his opponent was bleeding from deep lacerations across his chest and thigh, locked in a struggle to prevent the curse seal from taking over his mind and body. The markings spread only a short way before halting, a dark stain on the side of his neck, and the pain from his wounds only made it harder to concentrate on forcing it down, but somehow he was holding onto his sanity. 

"'Mister, why do you look like me?'" he said quietly, dark eyes staring in Zero's direction, yet only distinguishing a vague outline from the world of blurs around him. The other stiffened, remembering once asking that question of another person, somebody he felt he remembered but couldn't quite grasp – the memories slipped out of recollection as he tried, only to return to linger at the edges of his mind, teasing him with their. "What have they done to you, Zero?"

He wanted to ask how he knew that name; he wanted to know if this was the aniki he'd lost; but the cursed seal, spread over much of his body by now – he hadn't known about activating it during their short but vicious battle – made him answer differently.

"They gave me power, an identity beyond 'Zero'." A crazed smirk slowly crept across his face, twisting his features into a cruel leer-

_(Though the part of him that was thirsting for the truth, those truths that would sate his needs, screamed and thrashed and tried desperately to regain control)_

-as he continued, "I will be able to succeed where you have failed, _aniki_. But first I must kill you so I might truly own that identity. There can only be one of us!"

Even as the one known as Zero charged at him, ready to end his life in an instant, the original Sasuke stood in exactly the same position as before. It was impossible for a normal person to guess his thoughts from the expressions playing over his face, but with the copied sharingan, Zero could make out every tiny movement of his features. Acceptance… Regret… What sort of person could stand there, knowing they were about to die, yet only have such feelings instead of fear or hatred?

The sword fell.

* * *

A solid punch sent the final chuunin flying backwards. He collided with a tree with a sickening crunch of bones and slumped to the ground like a broken rag doll, leaving Sakura the only one to remain standing. It hadn't been difficult after the first nin had gone down – their teamwork had fallen to pieces after that. Without sparing the trio another glance she sprang up into the trees, attempting to locate the rest of her team. She didn't have time though. Before she could rejoin them a terrible wail split the air, coming from the direction of the two she'd just left. She cursed violently, using words learnt from her blond team-mate, when a plume of violet chakra rose into the air, linked with that same anguished wail. Placing her team towards the back of her mind for now she leapt to an adjacent branch, then another, all the while making for the source of the scream. 

Her steps sounded like a faltering heartbeat, and the screaming wouldn't cease. It hurt just to listen. It was one of the most horrifying things she had heard, and filled her with the same dread as when Kyuubi had gained partial control over Naruto's body. Yet she couldn't stop now; she had committed to this course of action and would therefore have to follow it, or break her nindo.

"Sakura-chan!" Her head whipped round to face the blond as he drew up beside her, bright blue eyes clouded with worry. "Kabuto-teme and Orochi-teme have headed in that direction! Damn hebi interrupted our fight as well."

"It would be best if we avoid conflict with them," Yamato said, appearing on her other side. His face was stern and impassive, parts of the ANBU training. "None of us are in any condition to face a sannin."

Sai made no comment as Sakura and Naruto shared an uneasy glance, something the kunoichi was grateful for. After a moment's hesitation the blond ninja spoke, his voice subdued. "I've already said that I'm gonna bring Sasuke back. What sort of Hokage isn't able to save his best friend?"

"And you've as much chance of dissuading me as you do stopping Naruto from eating ramen," added Sakura, and despite himself Yamato gave a wry grin. Then silence descended once again, broken only by their footfalls against living wood. The screaming had stopped, but if anything the quiet unnerved the group even more because of the 'not-knowing'; well, Sai was probably the only one not affected by what was happening, and not for the first time Sakura wondered if killing emotions really was the easiest way to cope with their profession.

She had no time to continue subconsciously pondering the idea: they had reached the clearing again, and it was deserted save for a single figure, lying motionless in a pool of his own blood. Before a word could be said to stop them, the former Team 7 were leaping down from the trees. A shared glance and she knelt beside him, fingers moving over his neck in an attempt to find a pulse. His skin was still warm but Tsunade-sensei had told her that a body would be warm moments after death, but- ah. There was one. Good. She glanced up and gave Naruto a small nod; he and a kage bunshin picked the other boy up, supporting him between them, and before either of their other companions could make a comment the bunshin muttered something along the lines of, "Don't know which is which but _he_ does," with a jerk of the head in the Sasuke's direction.

Not attempting to hide the air of resignation around him the senior shinobi turned and moved away, calling for his subordinates to follow. They obeyed, but as they leapt back into the trees both Naruto and Sakura thought the same thing simultaneously:

'_Just who are you, 'Zero'?'_

* * *

A/N: Whew! It's finally finished. Must say that the laptop didn't give me an easy ride – it didn't like Microsoft Word, it decided. Result was that bits of this chapter were wiped. Several times over. Ah well, life sucks sometimes. At least it's all here now- and just to make sure, I've hit SAVE again. 

Many thanks to all of my reviewers, as I wasn't expecting… what, 5 reviews in less than 6 hours? And for the people, who have read but not reviewed, please do. An author thrives on knowing their good flaws and their bad flaws, but a pyromaniac does need fire. And flames are the easiest source of that… (Not that I'm insinuating anything – perish the thought!)

And I've got a beta reader now – everyone, meet Heoeca through the magical world of cyberspace!

B/N: Eh, just call me Danico. I'd just like to say since this sent me for a whirl. A lot of the words in this story are European based. Meaning realize is spelled realise and color is colour; those sort of things. Other then that, reviews for the spectacular story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Itsumo**

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is the property of Kishimoto-san and will never belong to me. I possess no talents in manga-drawing and as such could never be an artist capable of producing such a masterpiece. However, I am certain that the plotline is original and subsequently have not plagiarised an idea from any other author on any fanfiction site publishing 'Naruto' stories. Any similarities are by mere coincidence. Also, any non-canon techniques will either belong to me or will be the creations of other authors on this site – I will not be using one without prior permission and will give credit where it is due.

Rated: T (for mentions of suicide, some bad language and quite frequent violence)

Parings: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Hina, platonic Naru/Saku, other minor pairings.

* * *

"Tsunade-baa-chan!"

The Godaime Hokage started and turned her attention to the door, half expecting to see Naruto standing there with a foxy grin and then pummelled to the floor by his pink-haired teammate. Needless to say she was surprised to see a small yellow toad – well, the size of a six-month puppy – sitting on a pile of paperwork, croaking happily.

"What do you want, Gamatatsu?" she asked brusquely, one hand reaching for the emergency bottle of sake stored under the desk for safekeeping but with obvious effort she stopped herself, settling for a cold glare instead. "Or is this some sort of practical joke?"

"Naruto-nii-san told me to give you a message- hey, you got any food?" asked the candy-addicted summon, blithely forgetting about the message

"No. Now what is this message, before I do something I'll regret?"

With a theatrical roll of the eyes the toad shifted to a more comfortable position, before repeating in parrot fashion: "Ohayo, baa-chan! We're on our way back to Konoha now, all 4+1 of us. Won't say anything more in case this is intercepted- 'NARUTO! Hurry up, we don't have all day!' –Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there! Anyway, by the time you get this we'll be a few hours away. Better get a medic squad ready though. Oh, and don't punch Gamatatsu 'kay? And don't drink yourself into a stupor – we'll need ya sober. Ja ne!"

There was a small croak as the toad finished, then a white puff of smoke as he disappeared to… wherever the hell it was that summons lived. With a groan of frustration Tsunade downed a single cup of sake, just enough to sate her addiction for a while. Her eyes were drawn towards the gate after a moment, and with that her decision was made.

Pulling a blank scroll from a drawer she picked up her pen and scribbled:

'_Jiraiya,_

'_It seems we may need you here in Konoha, for a little while at least. So, wherever you are, stop being a pervert and get your sorry ass back here before I have to send someone to retrieve you. And I promise it will be as painful as humanly possible._

'_Tsunade.'_

"And you know I mean it, pervert," she muttered aloud as she summoned a small slug to deliver the scroll, before pouring out another cup of the sweet alcohol and drinking it in a single gulp.

* * *

Elsewhere, a white-haired sannin sneezed. His notebook dropped from his hand, causing him to look away from his unsuspecting subjects for a moment as he bent over to pick it up again. _'I hope it's a pretty girl who's talking about me,' _he thought as he retrieved his 'research' and put his eye back to the peephole, only to discover that the bathhouse was empty. There was no sign of the women previously inside… and a large wave of killing intent was surging in his direction… 

'…_Crap…'_

"GET HIM!"

(Just for the record, he wasn't a pretty sight after that thorough beating.)

* * *

"Naruto!" 

The blond jerked his head up at the sound of his name, glancing over towards his pink haired teammate with a quizzical expression. "Eh? What is it, Sakura-chan… oh crap!"

His kage bunshin ceased to exist, throwing Naruto off balance as he hurriedly tried to support the injured boy he was carrying. Their other teammates paused to see why they had stopped; noticing the blond's predicament Sai jumped back to lend him some assistance, but he just shook his head in response and slung Sasuke's arm over his shoulder instead.

"That's what I was trying to warn you about, baka," Sakura muttered darkly, while Naruto laughed nervously in the face of her anger. "Come on."

They travelled in silence for a little while more, leaping steadily from limb to limb. Once or twice Sakura caught Yamato wincing slightly whenever he took off from his right leg, and the rough bandaging that peeked through from underneath the hem of his uniform was testimony to some form of flesh wound – but she knew from experience that if she tried to talk to him about it he would either clam up and say nothing, or laugh it off as being 'just a scratch'. _'Cha! Boys. They always try to act so tough.'_

"Gamatatsu will've given baa-chan the message by now," Naruto announced suddenly. Sai gave him a questioning look, having been on sentry duty at the time that the toad had been summoned, though the other three chose to ignore him. None of them entirely trusted him yet after his apparent betrayal only a few days before.

Yamato leapt forwards again, glancing behind to look at his subordinates. "When we get to Konoha take him," he gestured at the unconscious boy, "to Hokage-sama immediately. Don't stop even if the gatekeepers tell you to; I'll deal with them if it comes to it. Understand?"

"Hai," came Sakura's answer; both Sai and Naruto responded with a nod. Then once again silence reigned.

* * *

"You _know _you shouldn't have done that, Ero-sennin." 

"Shut up, Gamakichi," snapped the white-haired sannin with a wince, gingerly touching a large swelling on the side of his head. Muttering something under his breath he glanced upwards with a frown. "Hey, can you actually go any slower than this? Even Katsuya could overtake you at this pace!"

"Well I don't care," Gamakichi retorted, leaping forwards again and almost flattening a young sapling as he landed. "Stupid ero-sennin…"

"You've spent too much time with the brat."

"Even 'tou-san calls you that now so just face it, _ero-sennin_. And you're just a perverted old man who doesn't know when to… to… abstain from your pervy hobbies!"

"Heh. Betcha don't even know what that word means." The young toad was unable to see Jiraiya's face or the pleased smirk spreading across his face. Gamakichi was just as easy to rile as Naruto… talking about the blond brat, he hadn't heard from him in a while. Oh well. Not like he had bothered to get into contact either.

"I _sooo_ do! Naruto-nii-chan told me!" If it were possible the orange toad had puffed out his chest with pride at that statement, and at that point the sannin was unable to contain his mirth any longer. He exploded with laughter at the indignant toad's gullibility, pretending to be unaware of Gamakichi's rising anger. He only calmed after letting the tension that had been building up go, and seemed to sober almost instantly.

"Having you around makes it seem like Naruto's here, y'know," Jiraiya told him, a grin tugging at his lips; with a croak of laughter the latter responded in kind.

"Hey! Ero-sennin!" For a moment Jiraiya wondered whether he had suffered a concussion in the assault from those women, but the shock of blond hair that appeared against the trees was enough to persuade him otherwise. Gamakichi yelled in excitement at the sight of his 'nii-chan' and halted on the path, giving Naruto and the rest of his team time to join them on the ground before he began to jabber incoherently at the blond jinchuuriki.

"Sorry 'kichi, we don't have time. And Ero-sennin, have you been threatened by baa-chan again?"

"Apparently she needs me back in Konoha for 'an indefinite amount of time'." He paused, having noticed the boy that the blond was carrying after a moment. "Who's this then?"

"We're not certain," stated Sakura coldly – she had little respect for the Sannin after hearing about his lecherous activities from Tsunade. Jiraiya shuddered, asking the fates why such a pretty young kunoichi had been taught how to guard against his perverted subspecies of humans. Then his attention turned away from that train of thought as Naruto said, in a more subdued voice than usual, "We think it might be Sasuke-teme, but since they both said they were… Got no idea."

"And while we're standing around here our only way of finding out is _bleeding to death in front of us!_"

'_Damn. Sakura-chan gets real scary when she's mad.'_ The blond shook his head slightly to clear his mind of Kyuubi's sarcastic response to his errant thoughts and brought his head up, staring intently at a fixed point in the distance. "You guys catch us up later," he bit his thumb and swiped a trail of blood along a small summoning seal inscribed on the inside of his wrist, shouting "Kuchiyose no Jutsu" as he did. With a puff of smoke a toad appeared underneath him, and after receiving instructions it began to leap towards the village, the unconscious boy on its back and Naruto sprinting alongside.

Sakura stared after the pair, her eyes straining after them until they were just specks against the skyline. When a bird-shape swept her into the air she almost screamed in shock, but masked it at the last moment with a gasp. Glaring at Sai she tried not to look down, yet still found her attention flickering in that direction. (Damn her curiosity.) Even now she had little love for heights, and the ink bird underneath the four of them had very little that could block out the sight of the ground below – she saw the puff of white as Gamakichi vanished from the human world and the tiny figures running along the path beneath them before managing to look ahead. Slowly her eyes met those of her three companions; their faces were grave as they stared at the distant profile of Konoha; except for Sai's, though, which bore a few ceases of intense concentration as he focussed on keeping the jutsu active until they reached the village.

The girl found herself wondering just what their success would signify, and – more importantly – just how much more she and Naruto could take if it turned out they had brought back the wrong one. She might be able to handle it better than Naruto in some respects, he in others, but in reality she knew that each of them was the only thing currently keeping the other afloat.

* * *

By the time the remainder of Team 7 arrived at the hospital they found a sour-looking Naruto sitting in the waiting area, still dressed in the same blood-soaked clothes he had been earlier. Occasionally he would send a glare at the woman sitting behind the reception desk, who would respond simply by pretending he didn't exist; other people seemed to be giving the blond a wide berth and hurried whenever they had to pass him, many of the older generations shooting him scorn-filled glances if they had to, as if questioning why he was even allowed to enter the building. 

Sakura pushed her way through the throng of people to her team-mate's side, falling into a seat beside him with a loud sigh. "What's happening?"

"Nothing much," he spat, once more glaring in the crowd's direction. "Baa-chan and Shizune-nee-chan are dealing with the teme upstairs somewhere, and the rumour mills are having a fucking field day." The medic nin had to bite back a sharp reprimand for his swearing when she caught sight of his tenseness, silently agreeing with the blond. _'There'll be all sorts of rumours flying around now… people probably saw Naruto carrying a half-dead body through Konoha.'_

"The rest of the Konoha Eleven have been summoned here… as well as our sensei's," Naruto continued, then unconsciously growled when a small cluster of people sent cold stares in his direction. The kunoichi flexed her fingers experimentally then cracked her knuckles loud enough for the gossipers to hear, causing them to blanch and move to a safer distance. "Said that they deserve to know as well-"

"Hey, Naruto! What the hell's going on here?"

"Kiba-kun, don't talk so loudly in a hospital," Hinata gently admonished without a trace of a stutter. Akamaru whined and flopped into a white, panting heap on the cold tiles; the receptionist began to rise with a clear intent, but a moment later decided against it when the stoic, silent Aburame Shino cast a glance in her direction. There was a slight agitated buzzing from underneath his jackets as attention once more flickered in their direction, though it quieted considerably after a moment or two as soon as the roving eyes turned away again.

The Inuzuka sat next to his canine companion and idly stroked the dog's fur, resulting in Akamaru thumping his tail happily against the floor; the two kunoichis moved a short distance away to talk, leaving Shino and Naruto to themselves, neither boy speaking much. It seemed to take forever for the other teams to arrive, all of them tired from training or missions – there was little conversation as they waited impatiently for the Hokage to appear. A soft snore soon drifted from the blind jinchuuriki, and when Kiba snickered at him Sakura had to resist the sudden urge to pummel the boy into the ground.

"Naruto hasn't slept for three days straight, baka," she said instead, an ominous aura seeming to crackle in the air around the pink-haired medic. "Cut him some slack!"

"Keh. What's he been doing this time then?"

She never had time to answer; a voice boomed down the stairs just as she was about to speak, a stern voice saying, "Unless you're injured or here on my orders get out of here. This is a hospital, not a social meeting ground!"

Muttering under their breaths but unwilling to risk evoking the wrath of a tired and irritable Hokage the rumour-mongers slowly dispersed, leaving only a few people remaining in the waiting room asides from the group of ninja gathered in the corner. "You lot follow me – this is something that concerns you all. And for kami's sake someone wake Naruto up."

"M'already 'wake," the blond mumbled, stretching to relax his tensed muscles, and couldn't resist adding, "With the amount of noise round here you can't really go to sleep."

A few small grins came to his precious peoples' faces, and Kiba muttered something like, "He's just woken up and is covered in blood, yet he still finds time to make light of things." He, too, was affected by the infectious grin of their blond peer, and Akamaru thumped his tail once and added a series of curious whines and snuffles to his master's statement – the white dog's version of laughter.

The eleven shinobi followed behind Tsunade, all the way to the rooftops of the hospital. Naruto winced slightly at the memory of the last time he'd stood up here, with the Rasengan swirling in his hand and Sasuke's Chidori aiming towards him, something that didn't go unnoticed by the others. With their arrival the four jounin scattered around the rooftop wandered over to join them.

"You're wondering why you've all been called here, aren't you?" the Hokage said, the question more like a statement. Glances were shared – no, no-one knew the reasons behind their summoning here, and Sakura and Naruto could only guess – and Kakashi pulled out his book from a pocket with a slight shrug.

"Has it got anything to do with the rumours that are flying around?" Ino asked abruptly, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face. "They're talking about a 'demon brat' and 'murderer' in the streets – I don't believe it, there's nobody I know who could be anything like what they're describing, but is it?"

"No," came the firm reply, and the tension in the older ninja's shoulders seemed to lift with that single word.

"Then why are we here, Hokage-sama?"

"It's about Uchiha Sasuke."

The effect of four simple words was instantaneous. The six boys who had been on the original retrieval mission stiffened and glanced at each other; Naruto and Sakura, and to some extent Kakashi, looked slightly hopeful; and the others had varying expressions of disbelief (even Shino seemed to be affected to some degree, as the raised eyebrow proved testimony to).

"A few hours ago the C-rank nuke-nin, Uchiha Sasuke, was returned to Konoha by the temporary Team Yamato – more specifically, Uzumaki Naruto." Her eyes closed as she sighed, before looking over towards the Hokage Monument where the stern faces of her predecessors gazed down at them. "Unfortunately, that's the only good news I have. In three days time he will be put on trial for abandoning Konoha and seeking tutelage from another nuke-nin."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, eyes slowly beginning to bleed red; while Hinata looked mortified at his choice of language she found herself nodding in agreement, as did the rest of the group.

"It's the way Konoha has always dealt with traitors," Tsunade retorted, crossing her arms in front of her with a scowl. "It's not even my decision. The majority of the Council have demanded that traditions be upheld – only a few clans are against this choice, and others have taken a neutral stance. On some occasions people who know the accused have formed a strong enough defence to overturn the whole case. By law I cannot be involved on either side of the trial, although you can be. Make your choices wisely."

With that she turned and left, closely followed by the four jounin – as Kakashi passed his blond student he slipped a piece of paper into Naruto's hand and gave a nod of reassurance. Everyone craned to catch a glimpse of what was written as soon as they were certain they were alone on the rooftop. It was merely a simple note, saying, 'SHARE THE LOAD.'

"Has anyone got any ideas on how we go about this?" Chouji asked after a moment. His eyes flickered up at the sky briefly before over at the Hokage's office building, then at the rest of the group. Shikamaru and Sakura shared a quick glance; he sighed and shrugged, muttering 'troublesome' under his breath.

"We'll have to divide the work between us," the kunoichi said slowly, looking from one ninja to the next. Varying colours of eyes gazed back, each of the group silently committing themselves to the task ahead with nods or smiles, and a 'Nice Guy' pose from Lee. With a quick grin of her own Sakura leant back against a fence, saying, "So this is what we'll do…"

* * *

**Owari**

Originally I was going to extend this to show what was going to happen; then, when I was supposed to be doing my English coursework, I decided that it would be better to do it a piece at a time – that way I wouldn't commit to something that could be liable to change.

I'm going to be playing round with timings quite a bit – (SPOILER ALERT) the Hidan & Kakuzu arc will be shunted a few months after the canon timeline. Hmm… but that's all I'll say for now. Ja ne.

DWA, over and out.

Next chapter:

_'I-I can't believe it… Naruto-kun actually wanted me on this mission… I promise I won't let either of you down, Shino-kun, Naruto-kun!'_

**Secret! the Blind Sharingan.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Itsumo **

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is the property of Kishimoto-san and will never belong to me. I possess no talents in manga-drawing and as such could never be an artist capable of producing such a masterpiece. However, I am certain that the plotline is original and subsequently have not plagiarised an idea from any other author on any fanfiction site publishing 'Naruto' stories. Any similarities are by mere coincidence. Also, any non-canon techniques will either belong to me or will be the creations of other authors on this site – I will not be using one without prior permission and will give credit where it is due.

Rated: T (for mentions of suicide, some bad language and quite frequent violence)

Parings: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Hina, platonic Naru/Saku, other minor pairings.

**_Warning! Total Team Gai crack and minor (as in very minor) angsting at the end of this chapter._**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Secret! the Blind Sharingan**

* * *

Tenten hurried through the streets as she searched for her target, though the lack of solid information was infuriating her now. Not for the first time she cursed the lazy nin for not allowing her any knowledge of where to find the madwoman – she'd already checked the Forest of Death for any signs of Anko. With a small manic grin she pondered his fate, ducking through a small crowd of villagers with an apology. She leapt onto a rooftop and paused. Her eyes scanned the sprawl of streets, hunting for signs of purple hair, though none were in sight. Cursing she started to run again, all the while wishing that she had some sort of lead.

As she jumped down into the street she caught a flash of violet in the corner of her eye. She turned and smiled slowly, and with a sort of relief that the long search was finally over.

"Excuse me, Anko-san? Can I… speak with you for a moment? In private?"

* * *

Lee loitered next to the doorway, his trained ears carefully sifting through the layers of noise and debate emanating from within. He grinned when the memory of that morning's meeting drifted back, and the dreary seriousness of the air around them. 

"Lee-san, we'll need a distraction, something to stop them from finding out about our actions…"

"_Yosh!" the green-clad teen responded with a sharp salute, shooting Sakura a dazzling smile. "Konoha's Beautiful Azure Beast will ensure that our work remains undiscovered. If not I shall- mphf!" Tenten had managed to cover his mouth by that point, a bead of sweat trickling down the back of her neck as she apologised with a nervous laugh._

"It's okay, Tenten-san. And Lee, don't get yourself caught whatever you do, okay?" 

"_Hmm!"_

He sighed despondently, silently lamenting everyone's lack of faith in him as he leant against the doorframe. Inside the arguing reached a fever pitch – it sounded like two of the council members were ready to murder each other, and Rock Lee's mood lightened. He mentally cheered as he prepared – _'If I cannot do this then I shall train my body harder than ever, so that next time I will succeed!'_ – and burst through the door, making a show of looking round for some enemy threat while proclaiming loudly for the 'enemies' to come out and fight him.

The councillor who had been struck by one of the doors staggered upright, more shocked than hurt, and asked rather bluntly, "What the _hell_ are you doing here?!"

"It is my duty as an active ninja of Konoha to defend her people when they are under attack! The noise from this room must have meant that there was some conflict in here-"

"Lee," warned Tsunade in an angry tone, beginning to rise from her chair; the youth's eyes widened at the sight of her, but not for the reason they should have.

"Ah! but the honourable Hokage-sama is here! No wonder the fiends took flight! How wonderful it must be, for Age to be creeping over people but for their inner Power of Youth to not be extinguished!" His eyes sparkled as he slipped into full rant. Now here was a skill he was good at, at proclaiming the wonders of Youth to the world so they may find their own inner fire, and no manner of threat could get him to leave. At one point he broke into loud, passionate sobs and grabbed the nearest councillor in an inescapable hold; it took a while for three of the older ninja on the council to prise him off the poor man and escort Lee out of the room.

As soon as he was left alone, the faux tears dried and he grinned. Phase 1 of Mission Havoc was complete!

* * *

Hyuuga Neji was not happy. Wait, scratch that. Neji was absolutely _livid_. He almost found himself ready to curse fate, something he had sworn _never_ to do again lest Tenten hail down her wrath in a rain of metal. (Tenten + sharp pointy things - only thing Neji really fears.) 

His left eyebrow twitched as another peal of giggles reached him. The Hyuuga genius contemplated his options as he swilled the cold dregs of his tea around in the bottom of the beaker. Fleeing was always an option, although that would incur the fury of his female teammate. On the other hand, staying where he was seemed to be less pleasant every second – curse those foul beings known as 'fan girls'. And to think that he, Hyuuga Neji, was to be reduced to such a state, skulking in a teahouse like a common spy, dredging through the murky depths of Konoha's fathomless gossip mills.

Now he was thinking in metaphors. There really was no hope left for him, he decided with a heavy sigh, before schooling his thoughts back into line. It took little time, though, for his mind to wander again, meandering aimlessly on a complete tangent. He was convinced that some higher power – not fate, Tenten would kill him if he cursed fate – was out to get him.

Conspiracy theories. Maybe this dark agency had replaced Tenten with a flawless replication in order to sell him to these rabid fiends. A pause. Another idea. What if Tenten was in league with said fiends?

He shuddered. Fan-girls were bad enough when unorganised. He didn't want to even entertain the thought of organised fan-girlism. Fan-girls with a leader, one who had in her possession a myriad of sharp pointy steel items, including the usual kunai, shuriken and senbon. And more… unique items. He could just imagine that particular kunoichi waging war on enemies armed with the most innocent seeming of items… for some reason cheese graters sprang to mind…

No. No, he must focus. He was Hyuuga Neji, dammit; he didn't get sidetracked on a mission! Sighing once again he turned his aching, overactive mind back to the trivial chatter around him, and wondered – not for the first time – just how he got into this.

* * *

Ino was having the best luck of all of them so far (which, as we've already seen, doesn't say much). She had gained access to the Torture and Interrogation Department within half an hour of starting the 'mission'; now the only problem was one Morino Ibiki, who seemed adamant to be as uncooperative as possible. She had been sat waiting in the foyer for at least an hour now, mulling over the situation they were in without much success. Once or twice she wondered how the others were doing, especially Neji. The jounin had ended up in one of the worst areas for a guy to enter, after all, particularly a hot, single guy. Not that she was insinuating anything. 

Then there was Tenten and her search for Anko – since none of them knew her habits, not even the queen of the gossip chains herself, nobody could give her much guidance. Lee had it easy, he just had to be himself. Chouji and Shikamaru had two of the more time-consuming jobs, but they were relatively easy to make up for it. Kiba too – _he_ just had to make sure people stayed away from any tracks they left. Naruto, Shino and Hinata had one of the hardest tasks though, and Sakura. Truth be told, she was glad she was doing this rather than anything else.

"Yamanaka-san?" She nodded and smiled at the young man; he seemed to grow flustered, stumbling over his words until he managed to stutter out, "I-Ibiki-san will… see you now, Miss…?"

"Ino. And thank you!"

She sauntered past the man, deliberately brushing his hand with her own; out of the corner of her eye she saw him blush. He was kinda cute in a way, but too old for her (he must've been in his twenties at least.) Ino smirked slightly as she came to stand in front of the door, knocking lightly on its wooden surface. From within a distracted voice called for her to enter. Her smile receded, replaced by a mask of determination, and she rested a hand on the cool metal handle. _'I hope I can manipulate Ibiki somehow…'_ she thought as her feet crossed the threshold, into the lion's den.

* * *

While the others tackled their respective missions, three figures sat waiting at the base of a tree. It would be a while before they were able to make a move; Naruto was lightly snoring again as he leant against the stout trunk, a kage bunshin perched above his head to keep watch. The people passing them paid little attention, though, too absorbed in their own little worlds as they hurried through their lives to notice the fairly common sight of ninja taking a break from the usual bustle of everyday life. 

Hinata fiddled absently with a daisy she'd plucked from the ground. Her pale eyes flickered towards the boy she admired and the slightest hint of a blush crossed her face, though it was mostly hidden by the shadows cast by the overhanging branches, and she quickly glanced away again, staring intently at the ground. For a long while neither she nor her final companion spoke, which suited them fine until the topic had to be broached eventually – Naruto's clone had moved away with the vague promise of returning with food, leaving them alone in the park.

"He has grown," Shino remarked abruptly. The Hyuuga's gaze snapped to her stoical teammate, not expecting him to initiate the conversation, but she responded all the same.

"Naruto-kun's been gone for so long… he's a different person now. He's stronger."

A small portion of Shino's face shifted, the only indication of his feelings on the topic. "Certainly he has matured, and he may put more thought into things than he used to. But it is doubtable and illogical that he has undergone an entire change of personality. The Naruto we remember has just been… turned down a little."

She nodded vaguely, then opened her mouth to speak, decided against it, and quietened again. She was saved from having to make further conversation when the bunshin reappeared, carrying a carrier bag loosely in his left hand and whistling tunelessly. He waved to them, speeding up slightly as Hinata smiled shyly at him (managing not to blush), and placed the bag down between them.

"Managed to get three bento thingies. Wake the real 'me' up; I'll probably be hungry. As for me, I'm off!" He vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind no trace except the bag. Shino nodded almost imperceptibly to her as he took the boxes out, and with a nervous gulp Hinata moved a tiny bit closer to their companion, lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun, you need to wake up now."

"Wha'… Hinata? What am I doing he- oh yeah." He seemed to be coming round slowly, too tired to think coherently. Hinata took one of the bento boxes and handed it to him wordlessly, before taking her own. With a shared, "Itadakimasu," the three started to eat, Shino turning his face away slightly out of habit. Hinata glanced at the two boys hesitantly, thoughts a whirl inside her head. _'Naruto-kun actually wanted me on this mission… I don't know how I can be of any more use than anyone else, but he chose _me_.' _

"Eh? Hinata, is there something wrong?"

She shook her head, smiling gently as she assured them she was fine; no, there was nothing wrong. The blond seemed unconvinced but let it slide, and she turned back to her thoughts, not doubting her worth on this mission any longer.

'

* * *

Sakura stood before the door, a knot tying and untying itself in her throat. Behind her was the daunting presence of two ANBU, assigned to ensure that the Hokage's pupil was not harmed by the nuke-nin within the room, but that fact gave her little comfort. She was uncertain what her reaction would be as soon as she was in there – whether she would be able to uphold her façade or if it would fall away. 

"_Sakura, you realise that I cannot allow you in there alone for safety reasons, don't you. You still wish to do this?"_

"Is it possible for you to wait out here?" she asked softly, directing a quizzical glance at the silent ninja standing nearby; the senior shinobi nodded, never breaking their silence, and both moved to flank the door. With a gulp she grasped the handle, turning it more firmly than she thought she would and stepping inside, closing the door quietly behind her.

_"WHAT?! You mean THAT'S your excuse for getting in there?" Ino was almost laughing with nervous tension, teal blue eyes staring at her incredulously. "Sasuke-kun need's a check-up? If I didn't know better I'd say you were mad."_

_"It's the best I can do at short notice. And anyway, it said in clause 37 of the ninja registry laws, 'even if listed as a nuke-nin, no matter the rank, if captured they are still, by law, a citizen of the village of their origin.' Technically the worst that can happen is another medic will be assigned to it instead of me, and then I'll just have to find a way to break in or something."_

The prisoner was sat up, staring blankly out of the window until he heard her entrance. With a frown he turned his head in her direction, dark eyes still unfocussed, but he did not speak. Ignoring him for a moment Sakura consulted a clipboard attached to the wall.

"Hmm… extensive burns, never saw any evidence of those… several deep wounds, potentially life-threatening… leaf-shaped scar on one wrist, looks to be self-inflicted; minute traces of poison found in your bloodstream…" She paused and addressed Sasuke directly for the first time in years. "With all of this it's a miracle you haven't died yet."

The silence that followed her statement was thick and oppressive. Sakura studied his face for any reaction to her words; when she saw none she suppressed a sigh and continued, "The burns could be from anything – an accident, a battle… an assassination attempt," still he was unresponsive, which she took to be a negative, "and those wounds I know about. But that scar, and the poison? I know none of the Oto nin use poisons so…"

She paused, comprehension dawning over her as she turned and demanded, "Uchiha Sasuke, just how many times have you tried to kill yourself?"

"Hn."

This time she did sigh, writing 'suicidal' on the piece of paper. "Since you won't tell me I'm going to have to guess. Two, three times? Five?" After waiting for an answer that was not forthcoming she uttered a short cry of exasperation and threw her hands up in despair. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

The sharingan flickered to life for a moment as he growled slightly, the most sound he had made all day. "I have no obligation to answer you," he hissed, now red eyes staring directly at her.

"I guess not, huh?" Quashing the hurt that was beginning to rise Sakura checked the papers again. "So… since you're not answering that I'll just have to move on. Do you remember who I am?"

"…"

The pencil scratched across her report as she said out loud, "…possible amnesia; also seems to be a problem with the Sharingan…"

"…Sakura."

She started in surprise at the sound of his voice. The pencil clattered to the floor unheeded as she stared at Sasuke, astonished, and when she found her voice again she feebly joked, "So I can cross that amnesia remark off then. That's good; I hoped it wasn't actually the case, but…"

As if realising that she was rambling she fell silent. He, too, made no effort to speak and once again turned his attention away, out of the window. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for what felt like hours, but a glance at the clock over Sasuke's head informed her otherwise. Again she spoke.

"Sasuke, I'll have to take a quick diagnosis of your eyes, okay?"

The boy seemed to tense, growling slightly at the suggestion – his time alone seemed to have made him slightly feral, she noted with some degree of interest, and hurriedly scribbled that down. Sakura's eyebrows lifted in mock surprise and she asked, with some slight hint of true astonishment (although it was mostly hidden), "Is there some particular reason you don't want me to examine your eyes? Are you worried I'm gonna try and steal their secrets or something?"

"You don't want to know."

Shaking her head in frustration the kunoichi walked closer. "I'm bound by my word as a medic. Oh, and there's a certain phrase I'm thinking of using to describe you, Sasuke. And no, it's not 'traitor' or anything like that, but I think you'll recognise it all the same." She perched herself on the edge of the bed frame and told him, "You're being really, really _annoying_."

Placing a hand over his eyes before he could react she began to summon chakra to the centre of her palm, carefully sending tendrils to sneak in through the surface and investigate. She was being particularly gentle with this diagnosis – Tsunade-sama had never taught her how to do this so the girl had to pull in other ideas from other areas of her medical experience.

"The iris and cornea are working fine," she muttered in a distracted tone, partly for her patient's benefit. Frowning slightly she sent one probe a little deeper, investigating the inside of the eye with fascination. "There seems to be slight damage to the part which sees colour, but nothing that can't be fixed after some research… I suppose these three extra pupils surface once you activate the Sharingan, and the normal one becomes dormant?" she asked, and Sasuke shrugged. He knew nothing about how the eye worked, it just did.

"Well it does make sense, I suppose. As if it's some sort of genetic mutation, but which is mutually beneficent for the person." She breathed a sigh of relief and announced, "Everything seems to be working, so I guess my fears were unfounded- Kami! What's happened here?"

His body tensed as another probe of chakra joined the first. It was hardly a comfortable sensation, more like the pain when someone pokes red-hot needles into your skin only a little milder, and lasting for a lot longer.

"I've never heard of this before. Erosion of the nerves; something blocking the synapses… it looks like it's tied to that seal but it's of a different nature entirely… like it's got a mind and will of its own." Gnawing on a corner of her lip she drew the tendrils out and started to pace nervously. "Since when has this been happening?" the kunoichi demanded furiously, whirling round to face him.

"Couple of years." He seemed to struggle with himself briefly before drawing in a ragged breath, addressing Sakura in a hesitant voice that was so different to the cold and arrogant Sasuke she knew before. "If you're to understand… you have to know about Zero. Who he is… _what_ he is."

"I'm listening."

He paused again, reached inside himself for an elusive memory. "When I was first marked I started to hear voices, always there, always talking to me," he confessed slowly. "Sometimes they were Orochimaru's, persuasive; sometimes I could hear ka-san and to-san; and sometimes Itachi, both before and after the massacre. As Naruto caught up to me they became angry; I know it wasn't really my family but it sounded so real."

"You wanted their support, huh?"

"Aa. …I found myself wondering – was I doing the right thing? And then, at the Valley of the End, that's where this blindness started-"

He hissed slightly, wrestling with himself as if part of him wanted the secret to remain buried, even though it was mostly uncovered now. Sakura's own mind was whirling as she pieced the fragments of information together. "You said you were Sasuke back then, but Zero was using your identity. And if he's in league with Orochimaru, and you've been out on your own, then the traitor-sannin must've abandoned you when you were no longer worth anything, right? …did Kabuto replicate the eyes or something and implant them into someone else?"

"No." There was a silence, long and thick as both tried to come to terms with the situation; eventually he managed to convey his thoughts to her. "If you were to take a blood sample from Zero… it would be exactly the same as mine."

"I see…" she murmured. _'I didn't know it was possible to make a flesh and blood clone of someone. Hell, I don't even know more than just the basics on DNA and genetics, so its unlikely I'd learn about this soon.'_ Suddenly a thought struck her; turning to face the prisoner she asked, "With what you've just told me how do I know that _you're_ not Zero?"

"What you're saying is you don't trust me?" he responded in kind. "If I was Zero do you really think I'd be telling you about myself? I thought you were smarter than that."

Neither spoke for a while after his scathing remark, although part of her was unable to ignore the veiled compliment in his words; the only sounds were the clock ticking and the _scratch_ of her pencil over paper. Finally she stood, folding her notes and slipping them inside a pocket. Their eyes met across the room, her jade to the slowly deteriorating sight of his onyx, and all the agony she had felt before entering the room returned in full force.

"Your trial is in two days time, Sasuke. Hopefully we'll have a defence by then but… it depends on whether they listen to us." Drawing a shaky breath she managed a wan smile, even though she was uncertain whether he could see that or not. "All of us… the Konoha Eleven as they call us now… we're on your side," she said. Her fingers reached out for the door handle and as she was about to open it he spoke again, haltingly.

"Sakura… arigato."

Her hand shook slightly as she slipped out of the room, leaving the ghost of a smile behind.

* * *

For a long while after her visit Sasuke just sat there, staring blankly at his hands with what sight he still retained. The backs of his eyes were burning again as they usually did after chakra had touched them. He should be used to the pain by now but it was agonising every time it happened, and no matter how many times he suffered it always seemed worse the next time… 

His fingers found the scar, long and twisting, and followed it round. It was shaped like a leaf – like the one from the Konoha hitai-ate, ironically enough. He still had enough of his sight to watch as the blood leaked out, the last time he had tried to commit suicide; with a wince he remembered the sudden thrill of terror as he'd realised too late, _'I don't want to die.'_ But at the same time the only thing he wanted was to be freed from the hell he was trapped in…

Sighing in frustration he turned to the window again, watching the shadowy forms of things that flew past. He'd escaped one prison for a year or so only to get caught in a new one… quite possibly a permanent one.

* * *

Owari 

Phew! Well, this is officially the longest chapter to date, and today (12th July) I finally got freed from the torture-house known as school! Thank you to all my unwitting teachers who didn't actually know I was writing this instead of doing coursework; I wouldn't have finished this so quickly without you.

Next chapter… hmm. Don't know, I'll have to get back to you on that one. It's kinda weird though, since I've usually got some sort of plan as to what happens next. I might put in the first of my few OCs (who will _not_ end up as Mary-Sues; I'm only having them because of the Chuunin Exams, when they eventually come around) but then again I might not. In other words, I don't have a clue!

Heh-heh… I have officially cracked. Or am on crack. I swear that sugar tasted a little weird… blurble wurble schneep…

/falls sideways off chair/

Reviews welcome, flames used to fuel bonfires. I like bonfires. They make you all warm and happy, but not when you have to try and rekindle them. Smoke in lungs is bad.

Next Chapter

_'How the hell am I supposed to keep calm, doing something like this?! Damn, I swear my respect for Shikamaru has just gone up. I don't know how he managed to keep that first mission as a chuunin going… and I can't do things as I would usually. Shino and Hinata are depending on me to act like a leader!'_

**A-rank break-in!**

(Working title, may be different)


	5. Chapter 5

Itsumo 

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' is the property of Kishimoto-san and will never belong to me. I possess no talents in manga-drawing and as such could never be an artist capable of producing such a masterpiece. However, I am certain that the plotline is original and subsequently have not plagiarised an idea from any other author on any fanfiction site publishing 'Naruto' stories. Any similarities are by mere coincidence. Also, any non-canon techniques will either belong to me or will be the creations of other authors on this site – I will not be using one without prior permission and will give credit where it is due.

Rated: T (for mentions of suicide, some bad language and quite frequent violence)

Parings: Sasu/Saku, Naru/Hina, platonic Naru/Saku, other minor pairings.

**Chapter 5: Prepare yourselves – Operation Break-in!**

"Naruto-kun, how long?" the kunoichi whispered into a radio; there was a slight crackle as the blond adjusted his settings and responded equally quietly, "As soon as the guards have passed. Hey, Shino? Are you ready?"

"…Yes."

A light flashed below, and instinctively Hinata shrank back into the tree-shadow. With a murmured, 'Byakugan!' she watched as three figures staggered up the path towards her. After analysing them as no threat she allowed the bulging veins around her eyes to recede, and as soon as they were out of sight she darted closer to the Hokage building, knowing that her movements would go unnoticed. She was thankful for the plain grey mask over her face. It would be dreadful if someone were to discover one of their identities on this 'mission'.

The transmitter at her throat crackled and her companion's voice came out, slightly distorted by the distance. "Hinata, now!"

Once again activating her kekkai genkai the kunoichi hopped onto the window ledge, fiddling with the latch. It refused to give, and with a slight frown she jabbed chakra into it- to no avail.

"It's not working. I can't open it from this side!"

Silent as a wraith Shino appeared beside her. "Are there any holes?" was all he asked, seemingly disinterested. She knew otherwise, and turned her eyes to examine the wall carefully. Finding a small gap in the mortar she pointed it out to her teammate, who immediately instructed his kikai bugs to enter through. A face appeared on the other side of the wall, a perfect bunshin of the Aburame boy, who dealt with the latch before disintegrating into a swarm of insects again. Thanking the real Shino, Hinata opened the window just enough for her to slip inside. Behind her the Aburame moved away again, keeping a lookout for any chuunin on night-duty. She felt somewhat alone without his presence nearby, though the little radio at her throat was a slight comfort.

She slunk over to the door, leaving the window open for an easy escape route if necessary. Checking for any security she whispered into the radio, "I'm in."

"Okay. The room we want is two floors up from here, third from the end on the right hand side. I'll meet you there." His voice shifted slightly before crackling out, and for a moment she worried that he had been caught already.

"N-Are you there?" She managed to prevent herself from saying his name just in time, remembering the importance of anonymity. When no response came she hung back slightly. Should she continue with this venture? Naruto-kun might still be all right and waiting for her, after all…

Deciding 'yes' she checked round the corners with her byakugan, then crept through the shadowed areas in the corridors, byukugan still activated. Once or twice she caught glimpses of people moving above and whenever she saw one, she would freeze and draw into the shadows even further. Her heart was hammering within her chest. She was convinced that someone would be able to hear her just from its drumming; when an alarm suddenly blared out it was all she could do not to scream in shock. Backing close to the wall she felt a door handle jab into her back and, her mouth dry with nervousness, she allowed a gloved hand to close around it while around her the sirens wailed. Her heartbeat was a noisy drumming against the inside of her chest, and as she stood petrified she allowed herself time for one thought.

'_Naruto-kun, where are you?'_

The blond pressed himself further into the shadows, blue eyes casting furtive glances to either side of him. _'How the hell am I supposed to keep calm, doing something like this?!' _he thought desperately, remembering the location of that security camera from his last time breaking into the Hokage tower._ 'Damn, I swear my respect for Shikamaru has just gone up. I don't know how he managed to keep that first mission as a chuunin going… and I can't do things as I would usually. Shino and Hinata are depending on me to act like a leader!'_

He racked his brain for some solution, wishing he knew some sort of smokescreen technique so he could sneak past relatively unnoticed, but neither Kakashi-sensei nor Ero-sennin had taught him one and he only had a limited supply of smoke bombs with him. The blond jinchuuriki turned his thoughts to the techniques already in his arsenal. Which ones were the best to use in this situation?

Pausing to consider an option he started to play it through in his mind. Perhaps if he made a kage bunshin down the other end, out of the camera's range? He could imagine it working, but no. There was a control room down there; they would hear the sound of the bunshin as it materialised. Maybe as a prank, but it was unsuitable for a mission.

'_Damn it, think! What is there I can do?!'_

"_**You seem to have forgotten one thing, kit…"**_ Kyuubi chuckled darkly, waving his tails behind him. _**"You're this pitiful village's most surprising ninja. And you're well known for one thing…"**_

'_Ha!'_ He realised what the bijuu meant after a moments deliberation and thought to the kitsune, _'If you weren't a homicidal psychopath I'd hug you for that. You've really helped me out there.'_

Settling his hands into the familiar cross-shaped seal he whispered the technique name, ignoring the bijuu's disgusted mutterings. Seconds later a single bunshin appeared in the corridor. They shared foxy grins before the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a little spider in its place, and scuttled over the wall towards the camera.

"N-Are you there?" Hinata asked. She'd obviously heard him turning the transmitter around his neck off so he wouldn't get distracted while doing this. For a moment he felt guilty, realising that she might be assuming the worst.

'_I'll be back in a moment, Hinata-chan. Wait for me,'_ he begged mentally, before casting another glance down the corridor. His bunshin had reached the end now, and was waiting for the signal. Taking a deep breath to calm himself Naruto assumed the mask of the prank-master Konoha knew before, and he grinned.

'_Hope you appreciate this, Sasuke-teme!'_ He stepped out from around the corner, wearing the illusion of an Oto nin; his clone covered the camera lens upon seeing him, and Naruto sprinted down the corridor to a metal grille in the ceiling. He leapt up and pulled it aside, squeezing into the narrow gap; a second bunshin tucked the grille behind a row of ashes before dissipating into smoke.

The real Naruto waited a moment to make sure he had gone unheard, then carefully edged through the air vent. Still holding his henge he came to a halt over the guardroom, peering down into the room; the Oto hitai-ate over his head was surprisingly heavy, as if cursing him for his plan. With a wide grin he fished into a pocket and pulled out a couple of pellets. Dropping one through the grill he watched as it exploded, causing the two chuunin inside to leap up in surprise. Their hands flew to their weapons as a third and final bunshin burst through the doorway. The temporarily brown eyes widened in surprise as he swore, and readied for some sort of fight.

"Got the wrong door…"

The fight was fast, furious, and over within a minute. As instructed the clone disabled one of the two chuunin before allowing itself to be struck, at which point it performed a hasty kawarimi and escaped, but not before leaving a dropped Oto hitai-ate behind. After trying to revive his companion to no avail Kotetsu grabbed a radio and muttered into it words that the eavesdropper above could only hear brief snatches of: "…rogue Oto nin on the loose… Hagane's unconscious… no, I'm serious… all those not needed above required… emergency search now!"

Cursing softly – he hadn't thought of that possibility – Naruto backed up and dropped through the hole again, nodding to his bunshin before fleeing down the stairs. He took them two at a time, skidding to a halt at the bottom. There was a sudden rush of knowledge as his bunshin disappeared, and a clamour rose behind him. He was certain he just heard footsteps following him down the stairs now. Swearing again he ducked through a doorway, shutting it quietly behind him, then broke into a run again, counting off the doors on either side as he went.

Ahead he noticed Hinata backed up against the wall, slightly panicked; he grabbed her with a muttered apology and burst through the door she was leaning against. She looked at him as if seeing a stranger. Realising that he was still wearing his henge Naruto let it fall away and, removing his mask, gave her a grin.

"Guess I got a little carried away up there," he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. He was convinced she would hit him or something – after all, that was what Sakura always did when she was mad at him – but she just stood there and offered him a shy smile, whispering, "It's okay, w-we all make mistakes."

Footsteps approached the door at a brisk walk, and the insects crawling underneath told them who it was before he entered. Shino shut it behind him; then, as if by some unspoken agreement, the two boys started to shift various items of furniture in front of the door to prevent people from entering. While they built the temporary barricade Hinata crossed over to the window and glanced down. Figures were silhouetted against the pavement, darting back and forth to relay instructions. She bit her lip nervously, knowing that there was little chance of escape through there; Naruto waved to her and she half turned to see what he was trying to communicate.

'_He wants me to open a window?'_ The kunoichi took a couple of steps away from the window to avoid detection. When she asked why the blond just grinned, and even though she didn't understand his logic Hinata found herself believing in him.

Knowing that she would comply with his request Naruto turned to search the shelves. The silent Aburame removed his mask, knowing that he could trust the other two in the room, and as he took a pair of sunglasses from a pocket he asked, "What now?"

"We've got a bit of time before they find us," Naruto said, crouching down to study one of the thick files. "When we hear them at the door you and Hinata-chan go out those windows and make for the Uchiha compound, and I'll try and draw them off. I've got a few tricks I want to try out anyway, so it saves me having to pull a prank later!"

(Hinata was again grateful for the mask that she still wore. She could feel her cheeks warming at the suffix attached to her name.)

"W-what are you looking for, Naruto-kun?"

"The Uchiha files should be in here somewhere. I overheard Baa-chan saying something about it not too long back – all the records are kept in here, but they can't be accessed without a password or something." He grinned like somebody who had just won the lottery. "Of course, I couldn't let that knowledge go to waste. I typed it in as soon as I broke into this building. But I don't know the one to seal the room again, so Baa-chan's gonna have to sort that one out."

He took a sheaf of papers out and reached behind them, checking for anything that might have fallen down the back. Shino moved away silently and crossed the room, noticing a file that had already been removed. His kikai bugs buzzed in agitation at the sound of the sirens wailing outside the room, and he paused momentarily to calm them before picking the file up. It bore the name of some former clan of Konoha that had been wiped out fifteen years prior; flicking through its pages he made a mental note of the last face to stare up at him, matching it with the fourth of those stone heads that overlooked the village, before closing it and stepping into the aisle it had come from.

He found the hole where the file was supposed to be and slid it in, noticing the names of other famous clans staring out at him. The Aburame file was absent, of course; they stored their own file underneath their compound so that people were unable to find out their secrets. The size of the clan reflected in their thickness. The Hyuuga clan's was spread over five binders, there were so many of them, whereas that one he had just relocated took up only half a file. Famous enough to warrant a place in this aisle, yet obscure enough to have escaped notice by the historians – he had never heard of this clan before.

Naruto bumped into the other side of the shelves, and from about midway down on the furthest bookshelf a file tumbled out. With a minute sigh Shino bent to put it back into place, then noticed a dust-covered file stuffed right to the back. He pulled it out and wiped the dirt from the edge, reading the name with a hint of surprise. He began to flick through, checking whether it was the information they required; then there came a thump against the other side of the door and muffled curses as shinobi struggled to break it down.

"Window, now!" Naruto hissed, slits replacing his ordinary pupils and the scars on his face becoming more prominent. Hinata nodded mutely and once more donned the grey mask; Shino appeared from around the corner and held the file out for Naruto to see. The blond's eyes widened and he gave Shino a feral grin, whispering, "Take it with you – just go before they get in."

"Rejoin us soon," the bug-user replied softly, closing his eyes as he swapped the sunglasses for his own mask. Naruto looked slightly uncomfortable and leapt up onto a bookshelf, giving his companions a fox-like grin before he took on the countenance of that same Oto nin he had earlier. The two ninja from Team 8 disappeared from sight through the window Hinata had opened, the stolen file hidden underneath Shino's coat, and left Naruto alone in the chamber.

As if on cue there came a billowing cloud of smoke from outside, a distraction he'd had a bunshin set up before the break-in as a safety precaution. He grinned – he wasn't the prank-master for nothing. People generally refused to see the ingenuity that all of his pranks required, just focussing on the (usually) destructive/degrading nature of the end result. It was hardly his fault they hated him…

The door groaned, about to give way, and Naruto hurriedly laid a second henge over himself. He now looked like a rather large rat that had somehow managed to reach the top of a row of bookshelves, and the prankster part of his mind yelled in glee. This would be a good one – a humiliation that the ninja trying to break in would not forget in a long time. Short legs tensed and readied to leap onto the first head that entered through the doorway, preferably a female one. His rat-nose twitched in anticipation, his nerves at breaking point as he waited for the ninja to _just break through the damn door!_

He was not to be disappointed. At last the door flew open; the group of chuunin stumbled through. Their eyes instantly homed in on the open window and one man swore.

Naruto, with a mental yell of triumph, selected his victim and pounced.

The sudden shock of having a large rat land on your head didn't elicit a scream as the blond had hoped. Instead the man swore again and attempted to swat him away, and Naruto had to try and dodge the hand that swiped at him. Diving from the top of the man's head he scuttled under a bookcase, leaving the ninja to argue. The man he'd jumped on seemed convinced that he was a disguised enemy – _'too right you are there, mate,'_ Naruto thought grimly – but the others were uncertain. The debate grew more heated before one, the man he'd jumped on originally and the obvious leader, shouted something that made them all fall silent. Then a groping hand appeared under the edge, fingers reaching out to grab him before he could make an escape. The blond sighed in resignation, waited until the fingers were just near enough to catch him and bit down as hard as he could on the closest one. The man yelled in shock and pain and withdrew his hand, but Naruto kept hanging on for as long as he could, even though the man's blood tasted horrible (and he couldn't be certain just when this guy had last washed his hands).

Recovering from the initial surprise faster than Naruto had anticipated, the chuunin started to shake his hand around in an attempt to dislodge the sharp teeth fastened in his finger. Unable to keep his grip for much longer Naruto felt his grip give way. Then he was flying through the air. He witnessed it in his mind as if watching it happen to another. The rat-body was sent arcing backwards, stubby legs clawing at the air desperately. The group in the door way watched in a state like some sick fascination as he collided with the wall, the _thump _offset by a cracking sound. The blond grimaced at the uncomfortable sensation of the first of the two illusions gave way; the pain in his back was nothing, already beginning to fade away. The shinobi were slightly shocked at the sight of an Oto nin but it soon turned to something else (Naruto was uncertain _just_ what the feelings were, but knew it was bad news).

"Ibiki-san will be very happy," one said with a smirk, and Naruto glowered at him. His fingers were reaching for the smoke pellets again, but he had to keep them talking and distracted long enough for him to complete this stage of his plan.

"Yeah," another agreed, not taking his eyes off the window. "Too bad his companions got away, but one's better than none. Ibiki-sama will be entertaining again for the first time in weeks."

"Say that when you've caught me, fucking bastards," the henge-d Naruto spat and shifted position slightly. He kept his legs limp, as if his spine had been damaged when he struck the wall. "Acting so tough – you Konoha nin are all the same."

It was hard to act like this, degrading the village he loved. He was having to rely on Kyuubi's mutterings on the subject and the attitudes of the Oto nin he had had contact with in the past, but it seemed he'd said the right thing. The group ignored him, discussing among themselves what to do; then two started to walk towards him with identical smirks. Sneering in response Naruto flicked the smoke bombs out, relishing the looks of astonishment and anger on their faces as he darted away. There was a yell behind as them as the group set off in pursuit again, and the hunt was on.

Hinata took out the first ninja she came across with ease – a swift strike, no added chakra, to the base of the neck and he fell silently to the ground. She paused to drag him out of the way before checking that there were no more around. From there she ducked into a deserted alleyway and activated her byakugan once more, scanning for any sight of the other escapee from that building. Finding no traces nearby she waited for a moment, until the fear of discovery became too much to bear and she just _had_ to get moving again. She had to get as far away as she could, to find a suitable hiding place somewhere.

Voices sounded from nearby; wide-eyed with panic Hinata shrank into a doorway until the people passed. The sky was black now save for the stars dotted across its surface, and she became aware that the thin clothing she wore was not enough to keep the chill at bay. The people passed feet away from where she hid, and the girl closed her eyes in a silent prayer that she would remain undiscovered. Her hand quivered slightly as she saw them come close to her position, the byakugan having activated of their own volition – a response to her overwhelming fear. She struggled to calm her breathing. Better ninja than her had been caught because people had heard their breathing before now, and if her actions were to be discovered she could be charged with treason. She was making a habit of it recently.

The people came into view, and with a sudden shock she recognised the figures as Inuzuka Tsume and the black wolf-like canine that accompanied her everywhere, Kuromaru. She knew that her situation was bad then, especially when the dog paused and sniffed the air, recognising her scent and possibly the slight smell of her fear on the air…

A/N: **Cliff-hanger no Jutsu!** But I've got an excuse – it sorta died at this point, so I'll give myself a little while to overcome the writers block and then back to business.

Yeah, I'm a bit of a Shino fangirl. Only a little bit, though. He, Kankuro and (dare I say it) Kabuto are some of my favourite guys on the show, ranging from 'stoic-but-good-hearted' to 'cowardly-but-kinda-brave-too' to 'downright evil-with-ulterior-motives'. My bro has to put up with my 24-7 lamenting – _**'why are the pretty guys always evil?!'**_ (Sasuke, Itachi, Orochimaru, Sasori, Deidara- are you seeing a recurring trend here? But those guys are far too shallow for me; and while Sasuke gets a little sympathy he ain't on my list.)

This might be the last chapter in a while – I'm off to university at the end of July and, once there, will have to fight 129 other kids for the use of the limited number of computers available. I will try and email what I can get typed up while there to my bro so he can piece it together, but I will _definitely_ write it on paper at the least.

And, after much deliberation, I have decided to include the introduction to the first of my three main Original Characters for this fiction. You will find it below.

OMAKE - OMAKE - OMAKE 

Zaruno Hanaki lay awake, staring through a gap in the ceiling at the stars twinkling high above her. The teenage genin shifted slightly, but not enough to wake the slumbering girl beside her. Folding the blanket over her the kunoichi padded over to a rickety old ladder. She ignored it, perhaps out of the knowledge that it would probably wake the children below, and jumped up onto a jutting beam instead.

The oldest of the four below stirred. Opening her eyes she peered upwards, making out the shape of Hanaki silhouetted against the moon. "Nee-chan… wha'?"

"Just go back to sleep, Kairi." Her voice was warm and gentle, but the slate grey eyes highlighted by the moon seemed far too cold and distant for such a person.

Perhaps it went unnoticed. With the simple obedience of a child Kairi allowed her eyes to drift shut, and soon was lost to sleep again. Hanaki watched her for a moment more. Then, satisfied that she had done as instructed, the genin clambered onto the roof rather clumsily, lying back to get a closer view of those entrancing stars. A butterfly alighted on her finger, and with a tender glance she sent a probe of chakra out to connect with it.

"…Thank you. You can go now."

Lifting its wings in acknowledgement it flew away again, leaving her to absorb the information given her. Her gaze flickered towards the compound that dominated the east side of Kumogakure. A scowl creased her brow. How she hated that place! It was the home of her clan, the people she was ashamed to call family. Her fingers found the choker around her neck, the thing she was unable to take off without winning her freedom from _them_ first.

Sometimes her thoughts drifted dangerously close to treason. She'd heard about Uchiha Itachi, of course; everyone had heard of the prodigy who massacred his clan at the age of thirteen. And at times she could find herself almost sympathising with him. If he'd been under similar pressure to her then it was understandable that he'd lash out. That was only sometimes, though. Most times she was in a rational enough state of mind to think logically about it all; and whenever she did that she always ended up condemning the actions of a man she didn't know and never would, so there was no chance that she could understand him. Still, hypothesising with the facts she did know was good enough for now.

She dreamed a lot. Dark dreams, filled with blood and screaming and people calling her a monster. Hanaki herself was no jinchuuriki, but her sensei was, and sometimes she imagined she could hear the soft purrs of Nekomata trying to lure her into Her trap. But she was no fool. Although… Sometimes she _did_ find herself enjoying the nightmares. There were only two she wanted to kill in the clan, and she would often fantasise about their deaths. Call her obsessed, mad, even a traitor to her village; but she could not rest until she saw their cold and dead faces.

But sake always seemed to drown those terrible nightmares. It was a shame she was unable to obtain the liquor more easily, being considered underage by the vast majority of bars which sold it, but she knew ways and means of occasionally managing to get a bottle or two, usually from her sensei of course. She didn't particularly _like_ the taste, but if it stopped the dreams then she was happy.

Hanaki only wanted to be an ordinary kunoichi, able to hang around with a crowd and laugh as if there was no possibility of death on some over-glorified battlefield. But she was born to be different. Hanaki – the unconventional flower of the clan where females were scorned. Kami, how she hated all of those men who thought she was weak just because she was a girl.

She sighed, secure in the knowledge that she was quite alone up here, and sat upright again. The horizon was tinged pink with the coming dawn. The sight confused her for a moment before she realised that yes, she had been up there all night and yes, she had spent yet another sleepless night mulling over hopeless dreams. She was a perpetual oxymoron, her nii-san had told her once; that description fit her well now with the two distinct halves of her personality, which were as different as night and day.

Her eyes softened as they welcomed the dawn, and when she heard her little group of orphans begin to wake below she cast the horizon one last longing glance. Then she stood and jumped, relishing the feel of wind rushing past her face for the few seconds it lasted, and landed gently beside the doorway. Coffee, then training, then possibly a mission, then sleep and be tormented by nightmares – life was just one long routine that she was fast tiring of, but thankfully the Chuunin exams were only a week or two away.

Under a veil of black hair she smiled slightly. She hoped that Yugito-sensei would deem them ready this time, but at the end of it all it was really down to their skills and whether they were ready to take on the challenge. And the Utare brothers knew that she'd make their lives a living hell if the trio lost this opportunity.

OMAKE END - OMAKE END - OMAKE END 

The boys will be introduced the next time I am able to update – they are the aforementioned Utare brothers, Kizuna and Seishin.

Reviews welcome, reviewers loved, and flames will be taken to a special room in the centre of my mind where the furnaces of passion burn. Oh God, I just sounded like Lee.

Next Chapter:

'…_It seems illogical to suggest it… but it may be a possibility. It seems we have been caught in a web of intrigue without knowing it – now all we have to be concerned with is how to get out.'_ (Guess who? the metaphor gives it away, I think.)

'Underneath the Sixth Tatami of the Shrine'?


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